Jaipur Blue Pottery
Art and craft forms know no boundaries. In fact, the more these pass through different lands and cultural contexts, the more dynamic is their evolution. The essence and imprint of different lands and soils lends cadence to their souls.
The famous Jaipur Blue Pottery craft form of India comes from the city of Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan in India. It is a globally recognized craft form and one that has perhaps lent itself best to contemporary design and the needs of the modern, cosmopolitan buyer. Jaipur Blue Pottery has reinvented itself with the times.
And yet, the history of this traditional pottery of India remains as enduring and relevant. Turko-Persian in origin, Jaipur Blue Pottery reached Jaipur in the 19th century where it was first discovered and patronized by the Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II of Jaipur. Its earliest applications can be seen in the Islamic architecture of central Asia.
This traditional craft of Jaipur derives its name from the signature blue dye that is used to colour the pottery. The technique of applying this blue glaze owes its origin to the Mongol artisans who integrated elements of Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts.
One of the distinguishing features of Jaipur Blue pottery is that unlike other forms of Indian pottery, no clay is used as such. Rather, the dough is made by mixing powdered glass, quartz stone powder, Fullers Earth, Borax, Gum and Water. The blue colour of the pottery comes from the cobalt blue dye that is used to colour the products. The dominant Persian blue colour is formed by mixing turquoise and cobalt. The green colour of Jaipur Blue Pottery comes from copper oxide. The other colours such as yellow, pink and green are attained through various unconventional methods.
Another speciality of this unique craft form of India is that it is fired at an extremely low temperature. So this form of Indian pottery is not particularly known for its durability. Rather, the products are quite fragile and have to be handled with care.
The intricate and colourful designs on Jaipur Blue Pottery make this craft form truly unique and elegant. The designs mostly include decorative floral elements, animals and human figures. These intricate patterns are hand drawn and the colours are then filled manually with brushes made from the hair of squirrel’s tail.
The colourful and vibrant Jaipur Blue Pottery is very well suited to modern spaces because of its unique look that balances the modern and the traditional. Blue pottery is perhaps the most innovative of all pottery traditions of India as it finds multi-disciplinary application in fields as diverse as architecture and interior designing. For example, tiles made of blue pottery are used in combination with metal and wood in making furniture and various other household items.
We at Prosperitymirra bring to you a lovingly handcrafted collection of Jaipur Blue Pottery. Our diverse range of products includes all kinds of kitchen and crockery items that can double up as decorative pieces. We also showcase several unique products made in blue pottery including lamp shades, incense holders, etc. When you buy a piece of Jaipur Blue Pottery, you are creating space for a delicious piece of antiquity in your homes. You are also helping the potters keep their craft alive by supporting this sustainable craft tradition of India.